March 12, 2015 - TF2 Team

Hey, what's up, everybody? We're adding taunts to the TF2 Workshop!

What are taunts? They're character-specific animations you can trigger in-game to either announce that you've just shot someone or would like to be shot yourself. And now you can make your own! We've been blown away by the quality of item submissions in the Workshop so far, and this feels like the next logical step to letting creative folks in the community help make the game even better. If you're a talented animator, there's now a whole new way to contribute content. And if you're not an animator, you can still look forward to getting a lot more ways to express yourself on the battlefield in 2015.

Now, as we all know, almost everybody in the TF2 community is made up of Bruce Wayne-like philanthropist billionaires, so most of you can tune out for this paragraph. This next part is aimed specifically at the very slim margin of you who don't already have enough money and would like more. That's right! The TF2 team will be regularly selecting top-rated taunts in the Workshop to be sold in the Mann Co. Store.

Be sure to check out the Workshop Taunt FAQ for more information on how to create and upload taunts.

One last thing: To help celebrate the Taunt Workshop launch, we're happy to release three all-new community-made taunts, The Boston Breakdance, Most Wanted and The Killer Solo, now available at the Mann Co. Store!

December 22, 2014 - TF2 Team

Smissmas is almost upon us, and everybody here on the TF2 team's been busy getting gifts ready and standing as a group under the Valve mistletoe. The smooch count's currently at zero, but we're in this for the long haul. That's right, we'll stand here all damn week if there's some make-outs in it for us. Just try and get past us, DOTA2 team. You too, CS:GO.

While we're all standing around waiting for the smooch maelstrom, dear reader, why not take a look under the Smissmas tree?

We've also made a change to MvM loot drops. Specifically, in addition to the usual Botkiller drops, there's now a chance to get Australium weapons (including the incredibly rare Golden Frying Pan) to all advanced and expert MvM tours. The tours affected by this loot drop change are Steel Trap, Mecha Engine and Gear Grinder.

And that's it! Merry Smissmas, everyone! See you next y—

Wait. there's something else under the tree! Way in the back, by that power outlet overflowing with plugs! Is it...? Sweet Smissmas, it is! By popular demand...

New Weapons!

All Players who play TF2 during the event will receive a Gift: a Stuffed Stocking! Stockings contain goodies for good little Mercenaries.

Added 29 Limited community-contributed winter items to the Nice crate

Added new Limited Festive weapons to the Naughty crate

Limited time items can only be found during a limited window of time. The Naughty and Nice crate items will no longer be available after February 16th, 2015

Added Naughty and Nice winter keys to the Mann Co. Store.

Naughty and Nice winter crates cannot be opened after February 16th, 2015.

Premium Players will receive a Secret Saxton to give to another player

Item grants from previous events (including the Spirit of Giving and the Winter Holiday noise maker) have been re-enabled for all players, including those who deleted their earlier grants

Added The Iron Bomber

Demoman Grenade Launcher

Grenades do not bounce or roll

Damage radius reduced by 20%

Grenades that self-detonate deal 10% less damage

Added The Iron Bomber to the Store, Craft list and item drop list

Added The Quickiebomb Launcher

Demoman Stickybomb Launcher

Stickybomb arm time reduced by 0.2 seconds

Stickybombs can destroy enemy stickybombs

Charge time decreased by 50%

Stickybombs fizzle after 2 seconds

-15% damage penalty

-25% clip size

Added The Quickiebomb Launcher to the Store, Craft list and item drop list

Added The Panic Attack

Multiclass Shotgun

34% Faster reload time

Hold fire to load up to 4 shells

Fire rate increases as health decreases

Weapon spread increases as health decreases

Added The Panic Attack to the Store, Craft list and item drop list

Demoman Changes

Damage variance on grenades and stickybombs reduced from +/-10% damage to +/-2%.

Grenades and Stickybombs now have the same base blast radius as rockets. Changed from 159Hu to 146Hu.

Grenade Launcher

Direct hit grenades now deal full damage to target regardless of where it struck the enemy. Previously full damage would only occur when grenades exploded closer to the target's feet.

Stickybomb Launcher

Stickybombs that detonate in the air now have a radius ramp up, starting at 85% at base arm time (0.8s) going back to 100% over 2 seconds. Stickybombs that touch the world will have full radius.

Stickybombs now have a more visible trail while traveling through the air

Scotsman's Skullcutter

Claidheamh Mor

The Following is a list of features in the initial launch of Mannpower and is subject to changes in future updates. (Feedback is highly encouraged.)

Contains 8 permanent powerups players can find in the map

Players can only hold 1 permanent powerup at a time

Killing a player with a permanent powerup forces the powerup to drop

Contains 1 temporary powerup that can be found in the map

use the 'dropitem' command to drop the currently held permanent powerup

Added new Default Stock Action Item Grappling Hook. Grappling hooks are usable in Mannpower mode and servers that enable it. Once equipped, press and hold the action key to use it. Use to move the player toward the hooked object.

Mannpower Beta plays a modified version of Capture the Flag that requires your team's flag to be at base in order to capture the enemy flag

Touching your flag will instantly return it to base

Currently supported on maps ctf_foundry and ctf_gorge

Instant respawns enabled

Random critical attacks disabled

Players spawn with 6 seconds of invulnerability

MvM : Added chance to find Australium weapon rewards to all Advanced and Expert Mann vs. Machine tours. Previously only available on the Two Cities tour.

December 22, 2014 - TF2 Team

As part of this year's Smissmas Update, we'd like to Introduce Mannpower Mode, a new beta game mode for TF2! There's enough to tell you about it that we thought it deserved its own post.

We want to stress a very important word in that last sentence: beta. All of the art is temp and all of the game mechanics are in flux. This is an unpolished beta game mode we're releasing specifically so we can get playtest feedback from everybody and improve it moving forward. So dive right in! Your feedback will be heard and incorporated into the development process.

What's Mannpower Mode?

It's an in-beta CTF-like game mode with grappling hooks and nine different types of powerups. (A lot of this will change during this mode's development. We'll be tweaking rules and adding/subtracting powerups as we go.) It's currently playable in modified versions of Ctf_foundry and Ctf_gorge.

Mannpower alters a few game rules. For one, random critical hits have been disabled. Additionally, teams won't be able to capture the enemy flag unless your flag is at your base. (When your flag is away from your base, you can touch it to instantly return it to base.)

What was that part about grappling hooks?

Right, that! There's a grappling hook available to all classes in Mannpower Mode. You can equip it in your action slot and use it by switching to slot 6. Press fire to shoot out a hook. As soon as it hits something, it’ll start to reel you in. Release the fire button when you want to detach.

You mentioned powerups?

Yep, there are currently nine with more on the way. Note that these are works-in-progress, so the specifics of these power-up boosts might (and probably will) change as the mode improves:

Critical Hit: temporary full crit power for 30 seconds. Respawns in the same place after 60 seconds.

Mannpowers exist in the world and can be picked up by all classes. When picked up they add abilities and enhancements to the player carrying it. Mannpowers can be dropped at any time by hitting your "dropitem" key, and will drop automatically when the player carrying it is killed. Note that you can only carry one at a time, and that you can't take powerups into respawn rooms.

How do I participate?

Click on Play Multiplayer, enable Play Beta Maps checkbox, and then choose Mannpower Mode.

Why is this in beta?

We would like to include the community early in the development process to gather feedback as we try variations in the map layout and game play mechanics.

How can I help the development process?

Play Mannpower Mode! Playing and providing feedback is the biggest way you can help us develop this game mode. Having servers full of users interacting with each other is the quickest way to isolate and fix gameplay problems.

December 8, 2014 - TF2 Team

After the huge success of the last community-made update, we knew it was only a matter of time before some of you got together and tried to top it.

Introducing the End of the Line Update, featuring a whopping thirteen-and-a-half-minute long animated short, new cosmetics, a new taunt from the short, and an update page, all thought up and designed by the TF2 community. Awesome job!

During the End of the Line event, you can find and collect ducks from the corpses of your enemies. Badges are available for tracking your stats and comparing them with your friends. Happy hunting!

December 3, 2014 - TF2 Team

Since we announced the TF Tomb Contest a month ago, we've received over a hundred item submissions! You might remember we specifically told you not to make Heavy short shorts. However, once we actually glimpsed the majesty of Heavy short shorts, we saw the error of our ways.

We've managed to narrow it down to three winners and three runners-up. The winners, of course, will get a package containing pretty much every Square game ever. The three winners are...